COMMANDO
by Hooptdo
Summary: The year is 2552. Humanity is currently at war with an alien race known as the Covenant. Problem is, we are losing. Even with the creation of the super-soldier SPARTAN program. But the tables can still turn. The lives of humanity rest in the hands of a single warrior, who must be the protector of Earth and all her colonies, and even give his life if need be.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first shot at a potential Sci-Fi, Halo-esque type story, so forgive the rookie mistakes. At first the story will follow the life of a young United Nations Space Command officer with a mysterious past and his interactions with other well-known Halo series figures. Eventually more characters will be introduced and different point-of-views will be used, but the main perspective will be mostly 3rd person.

Also, I do not own Halo. All rights go to Bungie and now 343 Industries...*sigh*. Anyways, lets get on with it. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

"Brace!" Three more plasma torpedoes slammed into the portside of the UNSC Providence and the ship rocked in response. Captain Elias Thompson fell across the bridge and grabbed a nearby railing. Commander Nathaniel Novi landed near him in a heap. Papers as well as crewmen were thrown around the bridge, and fires sprouted on many consoles. Emergency alarms screamed warnings as the ship started to list. Thompson shifted his hold on the railing so he could see his second officer. "That was close." Thompson turned to the Navigation officer. He was still at the helm, barely stable in his seat. "Get us level, ensign!" The ensign nodded, and attempted to straight himself. The ship shook and the engines roared before finally leveling out, but just barely.

 _Where the hell did that Covenant ship come from?_ Thompson stood while shouting orders. "Return fire! Get us some room! And get those fires out!" Officers nodded frenetically, rushing back to their stations from which they had been thrown. Novi turned from the console he was watching. "Sir. Enemy ship circling." He paused for a moment before adding. "Boarding craft are 3 minutes out." Thompson nodded and sat in his command chair. He keyed the ship wide comm. "All hands, boarding parties are imminent. Battle stations! This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill!" He shut off the comm right before another plasma round hit the starboard side. _He'd better be getting ready_ mused Thompson. _These Covenant are in for one hell of a surprise._

Action filled the Providence's armory. Marines strapped armor on, secured rifle magazines to their chests, and checked ammunition. Anxiousness filled the room, quite obvious due to the mumbling. The mumbling ended when the door to the armory opened. "Attention!" The marines leapt onto their feet, snapping salutes. An older man walked into the crowded armory. The top of his hair greyed until halfway down the sides, and then white took over. SARGE was painted onto his chest plate.

"Gentlemen," he began in a deep Texan drawl. "It's plain and simple. The Covenant chose to attack one of the best ships in the UNSC." A chorus of oohrahs echoed through the room and a smile tugged at the sergeant's mouth. "And boy are these Covies in for one hell of a surprise! We WILL kill any aliens onboard, we WILL push them back to their ship, and by god we'll push them all the way back to their home world." Nods and agreement were heard from the marines. "They may want this ship, but all they're gonna get is a belly full of led, and a pool of their own blood to drown in! AM I RIGHT MARINES?!" Cheers and more oohrahs echoed the room. "Sir, yes sir!" His smile finally showed, and he reached for a shotgun. "Uh-huh, damn right marines!" He pulled back the fore-end, and pushed it back with a satisfying CLICK-CLACK! He waved the 12-guage through the door. "Now let's move it out. Double time!"

The marines jogged out, looking much more positive than before, and the sergeant followed. But before putting on his helmet, he reached down and pulled a wallet size photo from his chest plate. It was of a woman and a little girl. A smile stretched across his face, as he stared at the picture for several moments before sliding it back into the armor. He pulled his helmet on and followed his men off to battle.

Cryo bay #2 was one of the few less active rooms onboard the Providence. The Captain had ordered the Lieutenant thawed out, but maybe a little too late. Most of the ship's energy had been diverted to weapon and emergency systems, so little remained for minor tasks. The ship's AI, Jarvis, was assisting Chief Nicole Thompson in the unthawing process. If the Covenant were planning on boarding, and they were, then the Captain would need all the help he can get.

10 seconds until the tube will have finished thawing. Jarvis' hologram appeared in the observation room while Chief Thompson stood before the casket, watching as ice thawed away from the glass. "He's coming online now, chief." Jarvis keyed the five second thaw-out process, and watched as the Chief took a step back. The casket opened with a hiss. Nitrogen overflowed the edge of the tube, causing the room's temperature to drop a good twenty degrees and sending a shiver down the Chief's spine. An armored hand reached up and grabbed the casket's edge, before pulling the rest of the figure out of the misty nitrogen.

Thompson took another step back as the figure exited the cryogenic casket. The Spartan was huge, at least 7ft tall, covered in dark grey armor. A single stripe of gold ran down the center of his helmet and also his shoulder plates. He glanced around the room before locking onto her. In a deep voice, he spoke. "Did you miss me?"

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Well, there you go! My first shot at a sci-fi story. Not the best but, oh well. Anyway, comments are appreciated (preferably positive criticism) and maybe I might keep the story going. Who knows... but until then, stay frosty my friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Here's the next part in the "Escape from the Providence" story arc. This one has a little more action, so let's see how that goes. Shout-out to Nightwing Aurora and Mortgaged Free-men. Thanks for the follow and favs. If you guys see anything wrong, a comment is always appreciated.

Oh yes, I know. "Why can't a great man like Hooptdo own Halo instead of 343 Industries?" Yes, well, I've always thought that too. But they didn't like that idea, so here I am, writing story ideas that they will eventually pay millions for! Muhahaha! *Ahem* But aside from that, let's get on with it.

* * *

 **Location: UNSC Providence (Paris-Class Heavy Frigate)**

Chief Nicole Thompson took a step closer to the Spartan. "Have a nice nap?" He nodded, and a smile tugged at her mouth. "What's the situation, chief?" His deep voice grabbing every bit of attention she could give. He looked away from her and glanced around the bay, as if expecting something to jump at any moment. Her friendly façade vanished, and she saluted. "Sir, we're currently under attack from a Covenant vessel. They're preparing-" An explosion rocked the ship, causing the Chief to lose her footing. The Spartan, unshaken, reached out to stabilize her. "I think they're already onboard." She nodded fervently. She shouted to Jarvis up in the Observation room. "Tell the Captain he's awake." The AI bowed before vanishing.

"We're barely holding them back. The Captain thought you might want a piece of the action," She paused before adding "sir." The Spartan chuckled and glanced at his wrist. The suit had connected to the ship's AI and a hologram of the ship appeared in his outstretched palm. Sections were colored red while others were orange. Thompson stepped closer to better see the image, and gasped. A good third of the ship was red. "The red sections are parts of the ship already lost." He nodded, and pointed to the cryo chamber, located in one of the red areas and drew a line to the armory, still in the orange part of the ship.

She stepped away and started pacing. Another explosion echoed through the ship and the lights in the bay went out. "How are we supposed to get out of here? Now we're behind enemy lines, and the power's dead." A sudden crash caused her to jump and she turned to see the Spartan standing over the room's doors which were lying outside of the room. She smiled and drew her handgun. He nodded and stepped through, and she did the same.

The 7ft tall super soldier jogged down the darkened hallway, staying quiet as possible and occasionally stopping to check for enemies. All that could be heard were explosions and emergency alarms. It wasn't until they'd gotten a good three sections away from the Cryo Bay before they encountered an obstacle.

She wasn't even expecting it. And yet, here they were. Nicole figured she'd take the lead, having the gun and all. Eventually they had entered a lit corridor, so she assumed it was a UNSC controlled section of the ship. But what happened next said otherwise. Without thinking she dashed around a corner and ran into something solid. A shout escaped her as she was knocked down, and she looked up to see what she'd hit. Before her stood a Covenant Elite in bright red armor. She reached for her handgun, which had been knocked from her grasp, and tried to sit up but was forced back down when the Elite's heavy boot stepped on her chest.

She gasped for air but couldn't find any. She struggled and fought but the Elite stomped her chest. A crack was heard and she screamed again. He titled his head before shouting something over his shoulder. Three more Elites emerged from the shadows and began walking towards her.

As soon as the Elite turned to yell, the Spartan was moving. He sprang from the shadows and barreled into the red Elite. He roared as the newcomer knocked him off his prey. Once the Elite's head hit the floor, he turned his attention to the other three. They glanced at each other, nodded, and looked back to the Spartan. All at once they charged him, firing plasma rifles and shouting battle cries.

The Spartan reacted quickly. Leaping to the first Elite, he waited for it to swing downward in a feeble melee attempt. The Elite did just that, but the Spartan raised his arm to block. He then wrapped his arm around the Elite's and dislocated it. The Elite roared but was quickly silenced when the Spartan punched the Elite's head, knocking it back into the wall.

The other two aliens stopped advancing on Nicole when they heard their brother go down. The second and third Elites turned and fired; plasma splashed over the Spartan's armor, causing his shields to drop a hair width.

He rolled forward so he was inches away from either Elite. He kicked one Elite while the other aimed its plasma rifle at the Spartan's head. He ducked underneath the rifle, and performed an uppercut to his chin. Pushing the body aside, the Elite had only a moment to react before the Spartan spin kicked him square in the chest. The alien spit up purple blood and slide back until he hit the corridor's wall. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground in a heap.

The Spartan turned towards Nicole when another roar was heard. He looked to see the red Elite standing back up. The Elite reached behind its back and produced a handle. With a flick of the wrist, a bright blue blade appeared. He waved it several times as if advertising the super soldier's death. And then, he charged.

A shout from the Spartan's left grabbed his attention, and he glanced to see Thompson with her pistol in hand. As she gasped for air, she tossed the pistol to the Spartan. He reached out and snatched the weapon from the air, and turned it to the Elite. He was still charging when the Spartan aimed the handgun. The alien halted and its eyes locked on the weapon. Then he fired. Three simple shots. Two to the chest, and one in the head.

The Spartan stood there, gun in hand, watching the Elite's blood spill across the deck. His shields began recharging, and he was satisfied when the status bar had filled. A shout came from farther down the hallway. He glanced to the Chief, who was still lying on the ground coughing and wheezing. The Spartan slowly moved towards her, pistol raised and furtively sweeping the area behind him. He knelt beside her, and attempted to sit her up. "Ow ow ow." He slowly helped her onto her feet. "Can you walk?" She gasped at the sudden expectation, and took a difficult breath. "Yeah. I think so." She took a step forward, and almost fell, but caught herself. He reached out to her but she pushed him back. "I'm fine." She said, flashing him a difficult smile. An explosion down the hallway diverted their attention when several Elites and Grunts entered through a newly formed hole in the wall and immediately began firing.

Suddenly, a bulkhead opened on the other side of the Covenant. An older man shouted to the pair. "You two want to live?! Then get you're asses over here!" He and several other Marines fired on the aliens, who now turned their attention to the soldiers. The super soldier glanced to the girl, and she nodded. He stepped in front of her and ran down the hallway, elbowing Elites and bashing in skulls of Grunts. She attempted to keep up, but started to run out of what little breath she had. When they were about 10 feet from the bulkhead, Nicole tripped over a Grunt's corpse. "Ngh!" The super soldier heard her hit the deck plate. He spun on his heels, and rushed back towards her. An Elite saw this and opened fire on the girl. The Spartan stepped behind her, taking the plasms rounds. She looked up to see him standing over her, firing what little ammo he had in the handgun into the Elite. Her face red with embarrassment and fear, she watched as three rounds destroyed the Elite's shields and the last two blew his abdomen apart.

Without breaking contact with the aliens, the Spartan reached down and grabbed the chief by the collar. He tossed her through the small gap the Marines were still firing through, and followed shortly after. Glancing over his shoulder, he was satisfied as the bulkhead sealed with a hiss. He stood, and glanced around. Marines all stood agape at seeing the super soldier before them. The older man took a step closer and saluted. "Sir." The Spartan returned the salute. "This way." The sergeant led the chief and Spartan through several corridors before finally arriving at the bridge.

"Captain Thompson's waiting for you." The pair walked onto the bridge, which didn't look like one. Consoles were aflame, emergency sirens blared their warning, and officers shouted to each other. An officer sat in the command chair staring at the status board. Captain Thompson turned to the pair. "Glad you made it, Chief." She saluted the Captain, before stepping to his side. "Well, lieutenant." He started, giving him the 'at ease' signal. "Ready to get back to work?" The Spartan lowered his salute. "With pleasure, Captain." He glanced to Nicole then back to him. "With pleasure."

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Well, there you have it. Second part of an apparently dragged out story arc… This was also my first shot at combat, so reviews on that would be extremely helpful. Was it too long? Not long enough? Or did it just plain suck? I will also try to update as regularly as possible. Anyways, that's all for now. Thanks for reading!

-Stay frosty, my friends-


	3. Chapter 3

And here's part three of the "Escape from the Providence" arc. Now, this one is a little longer than the last two have been, since they were test subjects. But that's beside the point. Shout-out to StargateFFWriter Sing-Le, and robertslaughter1. Thanks for the favs.

Also, sorry for the wait in updating. School and work have been taking up all my free time, which left little writing time. From now on I'll be trying to update as regularly as possible.

Not much has changed since the last posting. No, I still don't own Halo or have any affiliation with 343. Right, well let's get on with it.

* * *

Chapter Three

 **Location: UNSC Providence (Paris-Class Heavy Frigate)**

The Spartan emptied the last of his assault rifle's magazine into an Elite. Purple blood sprayed over the deck, causing the fleeing Grunts to slip and fall. The marines cleaned them up easily with a few bursts from their rifles. The Spartan dropped the spent magazine and slapped a fresh one in. He keyed the suit's comm. "Captain, Covenant forces are falling back. Orders?" But before the Captain could respond, the ship shuddered at another explosion. The explosion was larger than the last one.

The Captain's voice filled the communication link, sounding slightly worried. "Lieutenant, I'm initiating abandon ship protocols. Get those men back up here to assist in evacuation. I need you to get the Engineering section evacuated." He paused before adding "Save those men, and escort them to the Pelican Bay for evac." The Spartan cut down a fleeing Grunt. "Yes sir." He killed the link and turned to the marines following. "Report back to your Evac stations." The soldiers nodded and ran down the corridor. Captain Thompson's voice echoed through the vessel. "All hands, abandon ship. All hands, abandon ship."

The Spartan heard the rustling of armor and turned to Chief Thompson jogging up behind him. She stopped when seeing alien bodies and the lone Spartan standing over them. Nervously taking a step forward, she saluted. "Captain thought you could use a hand." He turned to continue down the deck, while she followed closely. "We need to continue evacuating this deck, and then move on to Engineering. The Covenant have them trapped." Thompson looked up to the Spartan, and a smile formed. "Then let's get them out." The Spartan nodded and began to move down the corridor. She jogged after him.

Many consider dancing an art, one that requires a partner and much technique. So in a sense, what occurred between the Spartan and the marine was such an art. They danced the dance of death, with such finesse as to not getting in each other's way. Back to back they fought, and killed more Covenant than one could count. Corridor after corridor they assisted marines in evacuating and pushing the Covenant back.

They were almost to Engineering when the ship shook again shook, but a massive explosion followed. Comm chatter mixed with screams filled both the soldier's helmets. Thompson blew an Elite's face away then turned to the Spartan. "What the hell was that?" Before he could respond, Jarvis' anxious voice came over the ship's intercom. "Reactor core breached! Repeat, the reactor core has been breached!" More screams and shouts of orders filled the communications in their helmets. The Spartan started towards a bulkhead marked 'HANGER BAY'. "We need to move. Now!" She grabbed the Spartan's wrist as best she could and turned him around to face her. "What about Engineering?" With a tap he pulled up a hologram of the ship. The rear 1/3 of the ship was black, meaning no oxygen was present. She gasped, while he pulled loose from her grasp and continued on.

Within the bay, a massive battle unwove before the pair. Several Pelicans loaded with officers and ensigns attempted to lift off while the marines defended the transports from Covenant troops. But every alien that went down, it seemed as if two more took its place. The aliens mostly ignored the marines and focused on the transports. Plasma splashed across the hull of one Pelican, one blast hitting the left engine. The thruster gave way and the bird began listing. Within seconds the engines died completely and the Pelican nosed into the deck. It carved a path straight through humans and aliens alike before slamming into a Titanium beam. The bird exploded moments later. Bodies were thrown about the deck as well as debris.

A sergeant stood in the midst of the human defenders, shouting orders and firing on the aliens. The few marines left dashed towards the final Pelican, oblivious to the pair. The Spartan and marines started down into the bay when several plasma rounds came from behind. Elites chased down the corridor, attempting to kill the humans before they could escape. "Run!" He yelled to Thompson as he fired on the attackers. And so she did. Even with a stomped chest, she was still able to sprint head on into a firefight. As soon as one foot left the deck, the other touched. Her eyes locked onto the transport, unaware of the Elite reaching out to grab her. But as soon as its hand touched, the barrel of her MA5B rifle was up and aimed at its forehead. She slowed enough to blow its brains out, but immediately continued.

The sergeant whom they had encountered earlier stood in the back of the Pelican along with several other marines, firing on the pursuing aliens. "Come on!" Falling debris threatened to crush her, and the aliens' aim was getting better, but she kept running. Off to her left, a tipped over shipping crate provided her with the perfect boarding route. So she turned and ran for it. The sergeant leaned out the back, getting ready to catch the daredevil. Climbing on top, she sprinted towards the end. Her foot had just touched the edge of the crate when she jumped, and let the air carry her. Having timed it perfectly, she reached out for his arm and found it. With a pull he and several other marines yanked her in.

"Thanks." But he didn't hear her. The sergeant was watching the Spartan performing the same run. But for him it was more difficult. Elites and Grunts chased after him, firing their weapons and occasionally scoring a lucky hit. He'd turn to fire, but only for a moment. Debris now blocked the majority of the once clear route, so his attention was focused on not tripping over rubble. He was 20 feet away when a large chunk of metal rolled in front of him. But when the chunk began to move, a wave of realization came over the soldier.

The Covenant Hunter was there, blocking his escape route, and the Spartan didn't have time for a fight. He primed a grenade and tossed it. The hulk raised its massive shield and the explosive detonated harmlessly. It did however stagger the creature, giving him precious seconds. He ran up the side of one partially collapsed wall on his right, hoping it would support him, pushed off to the wall on his left, and finally leapt over the tank entirely. He raised his rifle and fired as he flew over the creature, the 7.62 rounds finding soft spots on the monster's unprotected head and neck. It roared as orange blood oozed from the wounds before collapsing.

The Spartan landed and rolled, but never stopped moving towards the Pelican. An Elite attempted to step in front of him, but the Spartan shoved the barrel of his assault rifle into its abdomen. The alien roared before the Spartan tossed it and the weapon aside.

The crate that the Chief had used was covered in titanium shards, so all the Spartan could do was leap a good ten feet into the awaiting arms that were the Pelican's bay. The marines leapt aside as he slid in, the new weight causing the bird to sink a few feet. The compartment's door hissed shut, and the soldiers were bathed in red light. "Get us the hell out of here!" He shouted from the floor. "Aye aye, sir!" The pilot fed fuel to the engines, and the transport launched out of the hanger. Explosions shook the tiny vessel as the reactor began to erupt.

The pilot skillfully dodged parts of the Providence, flying the bird over titanium sheets that had once been hull covering. Several other Pelicans exited from other hangers, all moving as fast as possible in an attempt to get away from the deathtrap that had been their ship. Looking out the bay's tiny window, the Spartan along with other marines saw that the Covenant cruiser had also moved off, probably also knowing what was occurring within the hulk. No sooner had the Pelican reached what was considered a 'safe distance', a great white light erupted from within the Providence sucking all nearby matter and debris in. The effect soon reversed, launching any loose plates or sheets of Titanium towards the small vessels. Pelicans were able to dodge the debris, but the un-maneuverable lifeboats in the way were crushed instantly.

The Pelican slowed, giving the Spartan and the other passengers a chance to stand. They all stood near the bay's doors, looking out to the remains of the Providence. The forward half of the ship still intact, aside from the gaping holes made by plasma. But the rear half was another matter entirely. From the midsection back, twisted metal and the exoskeleton of some corridors were all that remained. And that was it; nothing but dust and echoes.

The Spartan moved up to the cockpit, and glanced through the windshield. At least seven other Pelicans along with lifeboats sat mixed with debris. There was no cheering over the comm, no cries of sadness, nothing. All were just sitting there lifelessly. A voice came through the cockpit's speakers. "This is Commander Novi. All transports report in." The Spartan waved back to Thompson, then keyed ship-to-ship communications. The Chief took a step in front of the Spartan. "Thompson here." The man sighed. "Ah, Nicole. Thank god you're alright." She gave the Spartan a stern look. "Yes, I'm fine. But where's the Captain?" The comm went silent for a moment. "Chief, I don't quite know how to put this. But, your father…he, didn't make it." The world slowed for her. "What?" She unknowingly took a step back into the super soldier, the solid figure stopping her. A gasp escaped her, and she took a step away from him backwards into the Pelican's bay, taking deep breaths.

"Chief? Nicole, what happened?" The Spartan stepped forward, continuing where she'd left off. "This is Spartan 038. Go ahead, Commander." "Lieutenant. I see you got Chief Thompson off safely." The Spartan glanced back into the bay to see her sitting away from the marine, sobbing. "Yes sir. She's fine. How many made it?" A sigh came from the other end. "Six Pelican transports, ten lifeboat escape pods. And thanks to the marines, each transport was full. Many lives were saved today because of them." The Spartan took a deep breath. "Yes sir."

Throughout the surviving UNSC vessels, the British voice of the Providence's AI filled the speakers. "Covenant cruiser now fixed 93.7159 million miles outside the survivor circle." The Spartan's Pelican rotated back towards the wreck of the Providence, seeing that the alien ship had moved away. Novi restarted. "Before abandoning ship, Captain Thompson was able to send out a distress signal. UNSC vessels responded and are en route. Hopefully with all this wreckage and being so close to the Providence, the signal of the ships will be scrambled."

At the end of the sentence, the Covenant ship's engines flared and the vessel moved closer towards the Providence's hulk. But before the cruiser noticed the small escape ships, the space around the wreckage began to shimmer. Several large holes ripped space apart, through which came three UNSC battle cruisers. The Covenant ship stopped moving, caught like a deer in headlights. No sooner did the ship stop then the vessels fired on the aliens. Archer missiles ripped through the ship's shields, followed shortly by MAC rounds. The Covenant ship spun on its axis before breaking in two. The hulk of the alien ship floated through space leaving a trail of blue plasma. A new voice echoed through the escape vessels. "This is Admiral Hood aboard the UNSC Enterprise to any UNSC survivors. We are currently tracking your vessels and beginning rescue procedures. Hang tight." The Spartan turned back into the bay to see the Chief still crying. He didn't know quite how to react, so he let her be.

Between rounding up survivors and avoiding debris, it took the rescue ships several hours to pick up every vessel. The Spartan's Pelican was the last to be rescued. After being dragged aboard by two other Pelicans, the bay opened to reveal the ship was now in the large hanger of the Enterprise, another Paris-Class Frigate. The hanger bristled with activity; medics tending to wounded soldiers, hauling away the dead ones. The marines followed the Spartan off, setting out to find their compatriots who may have survived. When the Chief exited, she didn't make eye contact with him. Shortly after the marines left, a woman approached him. Lieutenant emblem sprinkled her shoulders, pulling a salute from the Spartan. She smiled warmly and returned the salute. "Sir, welcome aboard the Enterprise. Admiral Hood sends his regards. I've been ordered to escort you to your assigned quarters." She said in an British accent. He nodded, and she headed out.

Several moments later, the Spartan was following her down several corridors through groups of injured marines, eventually arriving at a glass turbolift. She waved him in, pressing "Officer Deck" causing the lift to drop. The Spartan stood in the center, while the woman leaned back against the railing. A smile spread across her face. After a moment of looking the Spartan over, she spoke. "You don't talk very much, do you?" The Spartan turned towards her, taking in her appearance, unknown to her thanks to the helmet covering his face. Her figure was surprisingly perfectly fitted into her non-regulation uniform. The tight suit showing off all her shapes and curves. Her face was framed the same as her body, looking natural and yet quite impossible with brunette hair that hung down to her shoulders. But the one feature that grabbed his attention were her eyes. They were dark brown, as if made of chocolate.

"Ahem." He was drawn out of his thoughts by her intentional throat clear. He tried to remember what they were discussing. "No ma'am." He quickly stated. She shook her head, looking up at him with a smirk. "Lieutenant, perhaps we should drop the formalities. After all, we're both the same rank." The elevator reached the Officer Deck and the doors opened. The Spartan followed her. "Very well, Ms. Lawson." She stopped and turned, her eyes locking on his visor. "How did you-" "It's on your tag." She glanced down to her name tag, as if seeing it for the first time. "Ah, very observant Lieutenant." Her face blushed at noticing it, and she continued down the corridor. A few moments later, they arrived at their destination: a room located several doors down from the Captain's quarters. The door opened at their presence, and the Spartan stepped in. The room was standard for officer quarters, larger then basic rooms along with a bathroom. There was also a bench for his armor, just across from the bed, along with several shelves.

Lawson followed him in, and waited in front of his bed as he looked throughout the room. "I hope you like it." She glanced down to the floor, and moved towards the door. "Admiral Hood would like to speak with you once you've settled in." The door hissed open at her presence. "If there is anything else, just let me know." She tossed him a smirk and sauntered out, leaving the Spartan alone with nothing but a shower for company.

* * *

And there it is. Chapter three done. The first few chapters have been a little rough, but the good parts are coming so don't worry. Anyways, that's all for now.

 _Stay frosty, my friends_


	4. Chapter 4

Well, figured I should probably get back to this. Got the rest of high school to do homework, right? But, back to the story. Here I was trying to build a little on the relationship between the Spartan and Nicole. I also realized that I haven't given a little information about each character and or personal creation. So, take a look at the end of this chapter and there will be a little description of each mentioned so far. Oh, and italics are phrases or thoughts occurring in the speaker's head.

I own nothing, yadda, yadda, yadda. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

Nicole Thompson tossed and turned in her bed, kicking sheets off then pulling them back up. Although she was asleep, the noises being made caused her to sound as if she was awake.

Enter Chief Nicole Thompson

 **Chief Thompson, Nicole**

 **Time: 1600 hours**

 **Location: UNSC colony Telenor 7**

 **Evacuation during Covenant assault**

 _I ran up the next set of stairs, charging through the rooftop door and into the bright sunlight. Skyscrapers all around me were aflame, either half collapsed or on the way to the ground. Phantom dropships rose from around the towers and sped off to the Covenant battlecruiser hovering just above the nearby mountain, Mt. Sykes. I turned back to the marines following me out of the stairwell and onto the roof. "Come on!" The squad ran past me, followed closely by a large armored figure. The Spartan stopped at the door, primed a grenade, and tossed it back down into the stairwell. He pushed me aside from the door and slammed it shut, shielding us both from the blast. There was an explosion, and smoke started pouring from behind the door._

 _He nodded to me, and I turned to follow the other marines._ _The entire building let out a roar as the titanium beams weakened. Parts of the roof began to give way, falling into the city streets far below. "Wildcat, where the hell are you?!" I yelled into my comm. No sooner had I said that then a Pelican rose at the end of the roof. "Move it!" I yelled to the marines, all deciding to take my order into consideration. The marines leapt into the Pelican. I turned back to see the Spartan pressed against the door, with something slamming against it while he kept pushing back. "Go!" he shouted. Two Phantoms rose up behind him, turning to begin deploying troops. I backed up slowly, ignoring the shouts of the marines behind me. The Phantom deployment bay doors opened, revealing Elites and Grunts waiting for a kill. A wave of aliens left the transports, all moving towards the Spartan. "John!" I yelled, hoping he'd be able to hear me. He glanced back, but was knocked away from the stairwell. He rolled backwards, but was able to upright himself and 'grab' the ground. He slide several inches before stopping, glancing up at what had hit him._

 _A Brute Chieftain emerged from the stairwell, fur singed from where the grenade had gone off, and half its armor blackened by the explosion. The Spartan stood, and watched the Brute command the aliens to hold their fire. A slight huff left the monstrosity as it leveled the hammer it was carrying. "I have killed many of your brothers. You will be no different." And with that, the gorilla charged. Sure the Spartan was fast, but the Brute was faster. His hammer made contact with the Spartan before he could even move, knocking him off the roof._

 _A scream escaped me but was passed on, along with the memory as a new one appeared. I was standing on the bridge of a ship, probably my father's since he was at the helm. He stood above the rest of the bridge crew, shouting orders for fires to be put out. Alarms blared through the deck. "Get us some room!" A Covenant cruiser sat a ways off the bow, firing plasma rounds towards the ship. The ship shook, throwing officers all around the bridge. My father, unshaken, helped a young woman to her feet. She seemed strangely familiar to me, even though her face wasn't visible._

 _He turned to the communications officers, shouting over the alarms. "Where the hell-!" The officer turned as if never hearing his commander speak. "Sir, new contact slipping in!" My father turned towards the window with a smile, something I rarely saw on him. Suddenly, another ship slid out of a whole in space, and began firing on the Covenant ship. But then, my dream went to hell. A man stepped from the shadows, rose a gun, and shot my father. Twice he gasped. I rushed towards him, but the entire dreams froze before I could reach him._

 **Present Day**

Chief Thompson awoke with a scream. Droplets of sweat rolled down her forehead while tears rolled down her face. She glanced to her desk clock and saw she'd gotten only two hours of sleep. She got up and headed to the bathroom. Leaning over the sink she inspected herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, all knotted and tangled from the dreams she'd been having. Dry lines were spread across her cheeks from tears.

Turning on the sink and with a few splashes of water later, she was sitting back on the edge of her bed. After a few more minutes of contemplating, Nicole decided to get dressed. Nothing special, just an olive drab t-shirt along with some cargo pants. She glanced in the mirror and with a quick brush through her hair, she was out to take a walk.

She walked through many decks during her midnight stroll, passing several of her compatriots from the Providence. Quite a few recognized her from being their saviors, making sure to thank her or otherwise acknowledge her presence. And then it hit her: she'd never thanked the Spartan for saving her. _If I was a Spartan, where would I be?_ She walked over to a nearby communication panel and keyed the bridge. A moment later, the voice of the Providence's AI Jarvis spoke. "Is there something I can do for you, Chief?" For a moment she was at a loss of words, frantically looking for a response. It finally stuttered out of her. "I was, um, wondering where the Spartan who was aboard the Providence is." While he was processing the correct response, Thompson shifted uneasily. _Can an AI sense emotion?_ _Probably. He's probably processing how to embarrass me in front of the Spartan._

Jarvis drew her out of thought. "Chief Thompson, Spartan 038 is currently located in the Training Bay. Shall I call him for you?" Nicole almost jumped off the deck. "No! I mean, no thank you, Jarvis. Just directions, please." The AI gave off no acknowledgement of knowing what had just happened. "Very well. Follow the green lights along the wall panels." He hadn't finished before bright green lights appeared along the wall down the corridor. "Thank you, Jarvis." And with that, she was off.

After riding in a turbolift for several moments along with a couple turns, Nicole arrived where the lights ended: a door marked "Observation". It hissed open at her presence. Inside was a large room with several control panels and video screens. Windows lined the walls, giving view into the training bay along with a door leading to a stairwell into the training bay.

Two other officers stood in the room, turning when Nicole walked in. One had the insignia of an Admiral, snapping a salute from Nicole. He was an older man, with a face chiseled from time, and a head with little to no stubble for hair. Medals and awards flashed across his chest. The other was a woman, dressed in a skin-tight uniform with a figure that made Nicole a little jealous. Brunette hair shielded some of her face. Nicole couldn't see her rank, so she just generalized the salute. "Admiral Hood, sir." "At ease, Chief." The Admiral said, returning her salute and turned to the other woman. "This is Lieutenant Lawson. Lieutenant, this is Chief Thompson, daughter of Captain Thompson." "Chief." She said with a touch of a British accent in her voice. Nicole nodded to Lawson. "You here for the fun?" Hood said, turning back to the windows. It took Nicole a moment to speak, searching for the correct response. "Um, yes sir." He nodded, waving her alongside him. She stepped up next to him and followed his gaze into the training room.

The training room was less a bay and more a coliseum. Large floodlights spread their brightness across everything in the "bay". The floor had metal beams and plates intended to act as cover, as well as small platforms to provide vantage points. The only being was a man standing alone in the center. He was tall and very fit, dressed in cargo pants and a green t-shirt that said "UNSC" across the back. _Is that? No, it can't be. Can it?_

A loud beep echoed through the bay. Suddenly twenty other fully armored marines marched into the room. But these were not ordinary marines; they were ODSTs. The best of the best, dressed head to toe in special combat armor specifically for them and each armed, unlike the Spartan. He stood motionless as the ODSTs surrounded him, taking aim with their handguns. An ODST in black armor with red trim stood out from the others, probably the officer, giving one simple order heard over the Observation Room's speakers. "Take him." And with that, the lights went out and the session began.

The ODSTs fired, only for the dumb-dumb rounds to pass through empty air. The Spartan ran opposite the leader, driving his shoulder directly into an ODST, picking him up and using him as a shield while running. Rubber blasted into the ODST shield, causing him to release a scream. The Spartan slammed him into a nearby wall he was passing knocking the 'shield' unconscious, before vanishing from sight.

The other ODSTs stood speechless, glancing to the officer for orders. "Got to night vision and get him!" They chased after him, spreading out to search through the bay. Out of the corner of an ODST's eye, he saw a fast approaching shadow. "There-" The Spartan rammed into him, knocking him across the room and into another ODST. The others opened fire, rounds pinging off the ground before he disappeared again.

Nicole and the others watched intently as the game of attack and vanish repeated itself. Thanks to a monitor, they were able to see the soldier's head signatures. Everyone's except the Spartan's. _I wonder why. He's not wearing the armor…_ Nicole thought. The ODST numbers dropped until twelve were left, including the officer. The lights suddenly kicked back on. Bodies of unconscious ODSTs littered the bay. The survivors slowly moved back to back, watching every shadow and every spot of cover. One by one they dropped their pistol magazines, empty or full. Each drew a new clip, replacing the old ones. Nicole stepped closer to the window, and a horrible realization surfaced. She shot a glance to the Admiral. "Live rounds?! They'll kill him!" Fear, worry, and anger was mixed with every word. _He may be a Spartan, but they're not impervious to bullets._ "Calm yourself, Chief. Just watch." Hood said without turning to her. Nicole thought a moment instead of responding. _Hm. Wonder who gave them the ammunition._

While she processed this a sudden exclamation was heard from an ODST below. The Spartan was back where he'd started, near the center right in front of the ODSTs, quite unharmed. "Gotcha." The ODST closest to the Spartan ran forward while firing. The Spartan ran to meet him, but knee-slid until he was under the ODST's outstretched arm. He half-crouched and spun with his leg, sweeping the ODST to the deck. _Eleven left._

Two others charged forward firing their handguns while the others found cover to fire from. He dashed forward, grabbing the closest ODST and kneeing him in the abdomen. The Spartan rolled over his back into the other ODST. He grabbed the soldier by the collar and used him as a shield, taking the shock trooper's handgun and firing on his comrades. The soldiers all dove for cover, hoping to avoid getting shot and trying not to hit their ally. Two ODSTs weren't as lucky as a round penetrated each's leg. He tossed the ODST aside. Several more ran at the Spartan, hoping to overpower him. One drew a knife and shoved it at the Spartan. He leapt up onto the ODST, wrapping his legs around the trooper's arm and head, wrenching him to the ground and dislocating his arm. _6/12_

The ODST let out a howl of pain while his comrade moved behind the Spartan. But the super soldier was already rolling backwards. He kicked upwards into the ODST's face. The shock trooper staggered back, giving the Spartan precious seconds to leap onto his feet. He kicked the ODST in the knee, forcing the soldier to crouch. He dove over the ODST, stealing his handgun in the process. The Spartan came up in a crouch, shooting one of the nearest soldiers in the leg. _4/12_

An ODST grabbed the super soldier from behind in a bear-grab and forced him towards the officer. The officer drew a knife and chuckled as the Spartan was pushed closer. But before anything could be done, the Spartan pushed off the officer's body and flipped over the ODST holding him. He kicked the shocked soldier in the back, sending him into the officer and both to the ground.

Two bullets flew past him from two soldiers whom had taken a vantage point. The Spartan ran towards them as gunfire nicked the ground all around him. He fired on the pair, only for them to take cover in their obviously advantageous position. However, there were two smaller walls underneath the platform. He ran towards one, then partially up it before leaping across to the next one. Having gained enough altitude he leapt onto the sniper nest, landing in a crouch. He shot both the surprised ODSTs in their legs, making sure to kick their weapons away from them. _2/12_

The Spartan heard a roaring sound behind him and turned to see the officer and the 'hugger' with jetpacks flying towards him. The super soldier dove off the platform, barely avoiding gunfire from the duo. He landed and rolled into a crouch, searching for the fliers. The officer hovered while the soldier flew forward. He stretched out his arms as if attempting to tackle the Spartan. The super soldier flexed his legs and crouched low. At the last moment, he leapt directly into the ODST's arms. The shock trooper wasn't expecting this and wasn't prepared for the impact, the added sending the pair on a spinning and random course. The officer wasn't ready either, as the pair slammed into him, causing both 'packs to explode and sending all to the deck. The Spartan was the only one who landed on his feet; the shock troopers on their backs.

The Spartan began making his way towards the exit. But the session wasn't over yet. Within seconds the officer was on his feet, blood covering his hand with a handgun pointed square center of the Spartan's back. "You no good son of a-" The Spartan rolled to the left, over the unconscious ODST, grabbing the fallen soldier's handgun. He brought the handgun up and fired directly into the surprised officer's stomach knocking the ODST back across the other trooper. _0/12_

Nicole stood speechless. _How the hell did he defeat twenty ODSTs?_ _I mean, sure he is about twice their size, but still. Jesus…_ Hood turned to Lieutenant Lawson with a dangerous smile. "He's good." He looked to Nicole who was still staring into the training bay, but continued talking to Lawson. "I want to see him once he's cleaned up." "Aye aye, sir." Nicole didn't even notice Admiral Hood walk out, with Lawson close behind. She glanced over her shoulder back to Nicole, before continuing out.

Nicole continued staring down into the bay, watching as the Medical Units were putting the unconscious and wounded on stretchers, and quite unaware that the Spartan had come up the stairwell leading to the Observation Room. He cleared his throat, causing her to jump. She spun around to see him leaning against the bulkhead. Now that he was in the light of the Observation Room and closer, she could now get a better look at him. He was tall, about 6'4. His build was pretty average…if you've been working out since birth. The green shirt looked tight on him, mostly due to the bulk of his chest and biceps. Every one of his abs could also be seen, to which Nicole mentally counted. _Twelve._ His skin was white; maybe not exactly white, but bright enough to assume he'd never seen the sun. _Haven't changed much, have you?_

She then shifted her gaze up to his face. His nose and mouth fit him perfectly, each giving off a stoic, yet hardened look. His face was clean shaven, but not necessarily "clean". A three lined scar ran down his left cheek, just missing his eye before continuing again until reaching the corner of his mouth. Short, brown hair outlined the sides of his head, while slightly longer hair took over on top. The top was combed forward coming to a point in front, a sort of "outcropping". Then there were his eyes. Green, bright green, as if looking into a pair of emeralds. Nicole didn't realize she was staring into them until noticing he was look at her strangely.

"That, um, was some pretty good fighting." Her face turned red as the words left her mouth. She cleared her throat and straightened up, brushing her blonde bangs from her eyes. "I, just wanted to thank you for what you did back on the, um, Providence." He didn't move, but only stared at her. She suddenly found something interesting about the ground. _Okay, so maybe I didn't think this through…_ She took a deep breath and finished. "If not for you, that Elite would have killed me then and there." Then the Spartan did something she didn't expect: he nodded. Pushing off the bulkhead he walked past her towards the door. She reached out, and let her hand slide across his bicep as she turned him back to face her. Not angrily, but just hoping to get some response. Little did she expect the small "jolt" that shot up her arm. "Seriously, John. Thank you." The doors hissed open, however he stopped. "Anytime." _Wait, did he just talk? To me?_ "I'm sorry?" Nicole asked, assuming she was hearing things. "Anytime, Chief." he said over his shoulder. And with that he walked out, the doors hissing shut behind him.

* * *

So, it seems I've made an error no writer should, in that I forgot to give a short description of each character mentioned. An introduction, if you will. The name of the character, followed by some basic information.

Chapter One/Two

Captain Elias Thompson: Commanding officer aboard the UNSC Providence and father of Nicole Thompson. Strong, determined. 57 years old, but still has solid, white hair. Kind of looks like Lord Hood, but has hair.

Commander Nathaniel Novi: First officer aboard the UNSC Providence. Hot headed and career focused. Fit, 23 year-old. Clean-shaven, with your basic military buzz cut taking off most of his brown hair.

Jarvis: The Providence's AI (artificial intelligence). British, well mannered. (Imagine an older looking AI in a butler uniform, kind of like Alfred from Batman.)

"Sarge": Originally a Spartan. Has been deployed aboard the Providence for unknown reasons. White hair with gray peppered in. Also military buzz cut (look up pictures of Sarge from Red vs. Blue. Yes, it's the same guy).

Chief Nicole Thompson: Daughter of Elias Thompson, and commander of Providence security forces. Only person aboard to know the most about the Spartan. 21 years old. Blonde hair hanging loosely, but usually put into a braid (anyone seen How to Train Your Dragon? Like Astrid's hair).

The Spartan/Spartan 038: Spartan being transported aboard the UNSC Providence. Past is sketchy, but Chief Thompson seems to know a little about him. Has basic record for a Spartan soldier: skilled in hand-to-hand combat and in use of any weapon.

Chapter Three/Four

Admiral Terrance Hood: High ranking officer of the UNSC.

Lieutenant Katherine Lawson: Just a random officer, who happens to be incredibly attractive, and run into the Spartan as soon as he gets aboard the Gunslinger, AND happens to be interested in his actions. More about her will be revealed later.

And the rest are basic Halo critters, vehicles, and weapons that most fans should recognize. If not, take a look at the Halo wiki. Truly a site made for Halo geeks. Anyways, thanks for reading and, as usual, comments are appreciated. Until next time!

 _Stay frosty, my friends._


	5. Chapter 5

Well, after several weeks (months?), I've decided to finally get around to this story again. Yeah, I know. But, life goes on. So, without further adieu, here's chapter five.

* * *

Admiral Hood stood at the helm of the USS Enterprise, staring off into the starlit void of space. The quiet hum of the engines vibrating the deck, forcing Hood to shift every few minutes. Officers sat at their stations, typing away on consoles and keeping the ship together.

Miranda Lawson walked to his side. He failed to notice her, but nothing a slight cough wouldn't fix. He spoke without turning away from the view. "Yes, lieutenant?"

Miranda handed him a status report. "So, guess that's mission accomplished, sir?"

Hood scanned over the report, and handed it back to her. "We lost one of the fleet's best ships, and a personal friend of mine. I don't really think we'll call this one a victory." Hood's voice was strict and rough.

Miranda glanced down at the report. "Yes sir."

A sudden beep alerted the bridge crew to a newcomer on the bridge. Miranda and Hood turned to see the turbolift doors opening, and a soldier stepping through the bulkhead.

"Spartan 038, requesting permission to enter the bridge, sir." He asked while saluting. His usual intimidating appearance not changed by much. He had donned a slightly cleaner BDU, but still had a war ready look, especially with an M6D holstered on his belt.

Hood returned the salute. "At ease, lieutenant."

The Spartan loosened up, but not much.

Hood motioned for the soldier to follow him, and began towards his ready room. The Spartan followed, nodding to Miranda as he passed her.

She watched him intently as he walked by, glancing to the handgun on his waist. "You always carry, lieutenant?" He made no comment, and continued after the admiral.

The doors parted to reveal a small room, consisting of a desk and couch. Carpet covered the floor, with a light layer on the walls to hide the metal bulkheads. A fish tank was built into the wall behind the desk containing all manner of small sea creatures not commonly found away from Earth. To the side of the fish tank was a window out into space.

Hood took a seat behind the desk. "Commander Novi and I were just reviewing the events on the Providence." Novi was sitting with his back turned to the Spartan, across from the admiral. "Nice of you to join us."

The Spartan took a step forward, hands behind his back, slightly at ease. "You sent for me, sir?"

"Yes, lieutenant. As you may already be aware, Captain Thompson's death has created a slight problem." He said, taking a sip of his tea.

"His position, Spartan." Novi stated strictly.

The super soldier glanced down at the admiral, slightly cocking his head.

"Let me clear something up: Elias' death is very serious and as soon as we return to Reach, we'll hold a full service funeral. But until we get it official, Mr. Novi here is being promoted to the rank of Captain."

Novi's face lit up. He stood and tried to shake the admiral's hand. "Sir. I-I-I-"

Hood jerked his hand away from the anxious officer, almost knocking his tea off the desk. "Calm yourself, Nate. It's only until we get it in ink. For the remainder of the trip you'll be my second-in-command, shadowing me and seeing how a starship should run. But first, the lieutenant and I have some business to discuss."

Novi snapped a crisp salute. "Yes sir." He turned to leave, sneering towards the Spartan on his way out.

The doors hissed shut, leaving the Spartan and the admiral in silence.

Hood took another sip from his tea, stood, and made his way around the desk. He put his hand out towards the super soldier. "I can't say how glad I am to see you again, John."

The Spartan shook Hood's hand. "Sir."

Hood laughed. "Talkative as always. I would offer you a seat, but it seems you've put on a little weight."

If the Spartan heard the joke, he made no recognition of it.

The admiral sighed. "I understand that Nate wasn't Elias' first choice. Hell, the Providence was his first posting. But these are trying times. We need officers to lead men and women against the Covenant. Even if that's Captain Novi."

The admiral sat back down, and removed a file from the desk. He flipped through the document. "Most of your file is still redacted, John. But I see why Elias chose you. 24 years of service, and you've participated in almost every campaign during this war."

Hood looked up at the Spartan to see if he'd gotten any response. Not seeing a change, he back to reading. "You've received the Medal of Valor, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star. But no Purple Heart?"

This time the Spartan responded. "I try to avoid it, sir."

Another chuckle left Hood. "Elias had you pegged for a promotion since you'd joined the Providence. And after you're heroics on the Providence, I think you're even more deserving. So, I'm promoting you to the rank of Commander. Once we arrive at Reach, it'll be made official."

Hood stood, moved around the desk, and held out his hand.

"Congratulations, commander."

John hesitated for a minute, then shook the admiral's hand.

"Thank you, sir."

Hood turned and retrieved a file, then handed it to John. The admiral walked over and stood in front of the window, watching space bend around the Enterprise's hull through Slipspace.

"Two days ago, satellites picked up images of a Covenant battlecruiser near Reach's moon."

The Spartan flipped through the document, spotting a picture of a large, bulbous object shrouded in dust. Stars surrounded the shape, making it obvious where the picture was taken.

"Last night, UNSC Command sent out an all fleet order. 60% of all forces are being recalled to Reach. Guess they're expecting something."

Hood turned away from the window, and eyed the Spartan, who was placing the folder back onto the desk.

"We should be arriving in four hours' time. Assume we're going into a combat zone, and take prep time. Dismissed."

The Spartan saluted the admiral, and made for the door.

"Commander? You may want to check on Chief Thompson. Losing a parent can be rough. I believe she's down in Observation."

He glanced over his shoulder. "Yes sir." And left the room.

Miranda watched him as he left the bridge. She cast a glance his way, but he didn't seem to notice.

* * *

Spartan 038, John, made good use of the time he was given by Admiral Hood. With Jarvis' help he ran a full suit diagnostic. Even then, he decided to strip the suit apart, and perform a visual check. This process usually required a full team of technicians, but after several repairs made in the field, he'd gotten good at it. That and taking another hot shower took three hours. With the time he had left, he decided to make that check on Chief Thompson. After removing his sidearm, and locking his armor up, he was off.

He started for the Observation Deck and arrived minutes later. *HISS* the doors parted, revealing one of the most visited rooms on the ship. Windows lined the entire room, the passing blue of Slipspace filling each frame and lighting the dark room. Carpet, along with nice chairs, couches and tables accented the compartment, giving it a certain comforting look, such things being rare on a military vessel.

A single person occupied the room, having moved a chair in front of a window. Hushed sobs left the being, sniffles following each set. John made it within a few feet behind her before he stopped. She quickly brushed her eyes, but didn't turn to face him.

John didn't say a word. He just stood there, joining her in watching the blue of space. He may be a super soldier, a trained killer and damn good at it, but he still respected what she was going through. He'd seen soldiers fall in combat, and he saw what the brothers whom they'd grown close to went through each time. The only way was to block it out, cover it with either rage or some other emotion stronger then sadness. He guessed that was what she was doing, and turned to leave, deciding to give her all the privacy she needed.

"Don't go."

John stopped in his tracks at the whisper that escaped her. He turned back to her.

She stood up and walked over to him, meeting him in the dark. She was dressed in her basic BDU, except all the armor plates were gone, revealing slightly tight, blackish brown under armor. The blue of Slipspace lighting his face, but hers hidden in darkness so he was unable to see her reddened eyes from crying. She didn't remember that his eyesight had been altered, and he could easily see her eyes, the tear trails, and even several tears still waiting at the corners of her eyes

"You alright?"

It took her a moment to respond, sending up red flags in the Spartan's conscience.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She didn't dare look him in the eye, being afraid she'd loose it all together.

"No, you're not." He said firmly.

She sighed in defeat, knowing there's no way out of this. "I lost my father today," she started, then stopped to think. "My only surviving relative. After my mother died, he raised me. Each assignment he was posted on, he'd take me along." She stopped again in thought. "I've spent my entire life in the military, and never lost someone this close. I don't think I could go through it again." Her eyes locked on his, and he wasn't sure what he saw in them. Fear? Stress? There was something else, but he couldn't describe it.

"What if, next time it's…" and with that she broke down crying. Something itched at the back of John's mind. Something from a time long forgotten.

Nicole looked up into his eyes, tears streaming from hers, and she waited. For a few moments they just stared at each other. Suddenly, she leapt forward and threw her arms around him, pulling herself into him.

"I miss him so much." She sobbed into his chest while he stood motionless. He then did something no Spartan should do. He slowly, hesitantly, put his arms around her, pulling her closer. She gasped at the sudden strong arms around her. The tears slowed, but she still cried. Suddenly, everything seemed ok. She felt safe, as if the Covenant, the war, everything just melted away.

She slowly pulled out of the embrace, but not all the way. For the first time since basic, before he was inducted into the Spartan program, she felt something. Not a friendship, not a picture of what's to come, but an honest to God feeling. The blue from Slipspace and the green of his eyes mixed to a purple, and she was unable to look away.

"I don't know what to do, John. I-I-I-"A single tear ran down her check. With his thumb, the Spartan wiped the tear away.

"It's ok." His deep voice was barely above a whisper, loud enough for her alone to hear.

A smile slowly reached her lips, and she moved back to him. "John, I-" But before either could act, the doors parted. Admiral Hood walked into the room. Luckily, the super soldier and marine separated before he was really aware of the occupants in the room. Both snapped salutes.

"Ah, Commander. And Chief Thompson? Good." The older officer said gruffly. "At ease"

Nicole glanced to the Spartan, having not been made of aware of his recent promotion.

Hood walked past both of them, and stood in front of the window. "I just received word from the Pillar of Autumn. That large object I was telling you about, Commander? It's gone. We also lost contact with command. A lot of strange goings on to say the least. That being said I'll be expecting you on the bridge in 20 minutes. Clear?"

They both saluted. "Sir, yes sir."

Hood stopped at the door and turned to the pair. "And Commander? You may want to change into something more…comfortable?" The doors hissed shut behind him.

Nicole gave John a questionable look. "Commander?"

He glanced down at her.

She smiled. "Congratulations."

He nodded. "After you, chief."

"Sir." She saluted.

The Spartan shook his head, then followed Nicole out.

* * *

 _Date: Present Day (July 24th, 2552)_

 _Location: Planet Reach, Visegrad Relay_

 _"Colonel, this is Noble One. There are no rebels. The Covenant are on Reach."_

 _"Say again, Noble. Did you say 'Covenant'?_

 _"Yes sir. It's the Winter Contingency."_

 _"May God help us all."_

* * *

As quickly as he took it apart, John was once again encased in the MJOLNIR armor. He was currently standing on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, helmet cradled under his arm. The majority of the bridge crew must have never seen a Spartan before, for they were all staring at the super soldier and ignoring their tasks. Captain Nate Novi made sure to find each of these "wrong doers".

Nicole stood at his side, as if unable to separate. Ever since that encounter in the Observation Deck, she wasn't feeling the same. Something had changed, and she felt like a whole cloud had been lifted from her subconscious, and she was feeling good.

"Officer on deck!" Novi's voice shook every officer to the core, and each leapt to their feet.

Admiral Hood exited the turbo lift, and glanced around the bridge. "At ease." The officers returned to their tasks.

The admiral stepped near the large viewport, gazing out as the blue began to slow. Jarvis' avatar appeared alongside the admiral. "Exiting Slipspace in 3...2...1."

The Enterprise lurched forward, forcing everyone standing to hang on or else be thrown through the window.

The blue slid back from the front of the ship, revealing the dark of space hidden behind it and the mayhem it concealed: the remains of a frigate met the Enterprise face-to-face. The bridge went into a whirlwind.

Hood gripped a railing. "Helm! 50 degrees down angle! NOW!"

Helmsman McPherson shoved the stick forward, initiating the maneuver.

The ship lurched down and forward as the thrusters fired, forcing every member to secure themselves. Collision alarms echoed through the ship. John quickly activated his suit's magnetic seals, locking him to the deck. Nicole instinctively grabbed onto him. Several other officers were not as lucky, and were forced to find their own handholds.

The hulk began to drift above the view screen but not enough.

McPherson forced the controls even farther, pushing the engines as far as he could. "Come on you son of a bitch!"

Suddenly the Enterprise responded, and the ship nosed underneath the wreckage. The only thing they heard more of it was a loud scraping sound across the hull.

But that wasn't all. Several other large remains of ships lay scattered around the Enterprise, forcing McPherson to change their flight path.

The Spartan deactivated his mag-locks, and set about helping Lieutenant Lawson and Hood to their feet. Novi's head stuck out from underneath a console where he'd fallen.

"What the hell?" He stood and began to dust himself off.

Hood made his way behind Navigation.

"Where are we?"

McPherson eyed another screen while keeping them on their path. Quite a skilled feat, but now wasn't the time for recognition.

"Sir, Nav says we're in the Epsilon Eridani System. Location…Reach."

Hood, as well as everyone else's faces on the bridge went to the view port.

"Impossible."

The admiral turned towards the Communication console.

"Lieutenant, radio Anchor 9 and request docking clearance."

"Aye sir."

"Sir! New contacts up ahead." The helmsman shouted from his seat.

The Enterprise rounded another hulk, and a wave of destruction lay before them.

On one side, closest to Reach, a line of UNSC ships exchanged fire with the purple fleet of the Covenant armada. The majority of the Covenant fleet was more unified than the UNSC, whose ships were in a scramble while trying to dodge plasma torpedoes.

Floating hulks occupied the majority of space, giving the Enterprise slight cover during their entry.

The floating hulks of destroyed ships provided Enterprise with minimal cover as the admiral and crew began their situational assessment following reentry.

"Jarvis, update." Hood turned to Jarvis' now full hologram in front of the display screen.

"Sir, two-thirds of the Covenant fleet are destroyed, and the other third is engaged in surface activity."

"What kind of surface activity?"

Jarvis silently activated the communications array, relaying the message across the ship.

 _"_ _There are thousands of them. Grunts, Jackals and their warrior Elites. They have tanks and fliers. Christ, they've breached the perimeter. Fall back! Fall back! If anyone can hear this: the Covenant is ground-side. Massing near the armory!"_

"Jarvis, where's that transmission's origin?"

The display screen temporarily showed a map of Reach, before zooming on one of the many Orbital Defense Platform generators.

"So that's their plan: take out the ODP's generators, leaving us with no help in space. Jarvis, sound red alert. Let's join the fight."

The crew seemed shocked, and stayed at their posts.

Hood's demeanor changed from confusion to anger within seconds.

"What, are you deaf? Move it!"

The bridge sprang into action, with John and Nicole the only two who weren't moving. Hood eyed both of them.

"You two, gear up. You'll be joining the fight on the surface."

John and Nicole saluted Hood, before rushing off the bridge.

* * *

 _"_ _All hands, report to your action stations. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill."_

John made his way across the Enterprise's hanger bay, stepping past platoons of soldiers prepping for action. Fully armed Marines jumped into the cargo bays of waiting Pelicans, followed by either Scorpion tanks or Warthogs attaching themselves right behind each bay. Every Pelican was attached to a mechanical arm, holding it a few feet above the deployment doors underneath.

Soldiers who weren't yet ready stared as the Spartan passed. He looked more myth than legend, his armor covered in dents, cuts, and burns – leaving no doubt that he'd survived more combat than any of them could imagine, anything and everything that showed he'd been in combat. But what stood out were the weapons on his person. He had two M7 submachines attached to each thigh. Magnetically, of course. A combat knife was attached above his heart, being sheathed magnetically as well, to prevent the weapon from somehow sliding from its cover. His helmet still underneath his left arm.

Nicole was following closely behind, her female platoon bringing up the rear. Her group was almost as amazing as the Spartan. The entire unit consisted of women, a very rare sight in the UNSC. But they didn't perform any less than expected. Her platoon was one of the best, always ready for whatever is thrown at them.

John stepped aboard one of the waiting Pelicans that had originally been aboard the Providence, call sign 'Greyhound 1'. While Nicole and her team got settled, John set his helmet in an overhead rack, and stepped up into the cockpit.

Sitting at the helm was Greg "Bull Dog" O'Neil. The stocky mechanic-turned pilot was tougher then he looked. Although only being 5'6, and weighing around 160 pounds, he had been a champion boxer back in his day and had the features to prove it. A broken nose never healed, chubby cheeks to add to the roundness of his head, and a buzz-cut as if just leaving Basic. He continued running preflight checks, but also spoke to John with his thick Irish accent.

"Well, Commander. One more time, eh?"

John patted the pilot on his shoulder, and reentered the cargo bay.

Nicole and her team had all taken seats, glancing up to the Spartan.

The Pelican began to shudder as the ship entered the fray between the UNSC and attacking Covenant.

"BRACE!" The small craft lurched.

Admiral Hood's voice came over the Pelican's speakers.

 _"_ _Marines, we're doing a drive-by. We'll have to drop ya'll here. We are right above the ionosphere, so you'll have enough time to get down there. We'll draw the Covenant's fire."_

The Pelicans, along with the Enterprise, shook as it maneuvered past several torpedoes and slowed enough for the Pelicans to disembark.

 _"_ _Commander, you've got command of ground forces. I want those generators safe and sound. If we lose the ODPs, then we don't stand a chance."_

John clicked his wrist communicator.

"Understood."

The deployment doors underneath each hanging Pelican opened, revealing the explosive atmosphere and burning planet surface below.

A loud beep sounded over the rushing wind. Air blew into the cabin, chilling each soldier to the bone. The bay door closed, temporarily bathing the soldiers in darkness until the yellow cabin lights switched on.

 _"_ _Good luck. Enterprise out."_

"10 seconds!" 'O Neil shouted before sealing the cockpit door.

Nicole mentally counted down from 10 as she watched John stand near the rear. Unlike her, and her team, he didn't seem too worried about the drop which they were about to undertake, as well as the upcoming battle.

 _Five…four…three…two…one._

The marines grabbed their harnesses as the Pelicans dropped from the belly of the Enterprise.

But even as soon as they left the "safety" of the Enterprise, the Pelicans shook as if hit by a shockwave.

"Damn it!" The crew of Greyhound 1 could hear their pilot swear at his bird. Nicole gritted her teeth, mentally cursing herself for ever joining the military. This was only one of many times.

The transport kept shifting back and forth, each marine trying not to grit her teeth harder. John was the only one who seemed calm about the whole situation, merely shifting his hold on the handle near the bay door.

Once more, Nicole and her team descended into a warzone below. But this time, she knew since John was here, there was no way they could lose.

The Spartan retrieved his helmet from the overhead rack. After a quick inspection, he slid the helmet over his head. A hiss locked the helmet to the armor, once again sealing the Spartan off from the outside world. After running a quick system's diagnostic, an explosion outside forced him back to the port window.

 _"_ _Pelican 73, we're hit! Port thruster-"_ A Pelican behind them burst into flames, slamming into another. Both plummeted into the forest below.

 _"_ _Three minutes, Commander!"_ O'Neil shouted over the comm.

Nicole and her team stood while prepping their rifles.

John pushed a clip into the receiver, the ammo count clicking up to 60.

Nicole stepped up behind him, glancing out the viewport.

"John. I don't know about this."

He looked down at her through his un-polarized visor. She met his eye.

"This seems like a fight we can't win."

 _"_ _10 seconds. God be with ya!"_

John pulled his MA5B's charging hammer back, giving her an unspoken reassurance.

She put her hand to his armor, and met his eyes again. "I've got your back."

Greyhound 1 slowed, and the light inside the Pelican turned from red to green.

John's helmet polarized, and he leveled his rifle. Nicole and her team followed in sync.

"Let's get this done.'

The bay door opened, and sunlight spilled into the cabin.

John's foot left the deck, and Nicole's was right behind him.

* * *

Yeah. I know...the romance stuff was kind of weird, but I'm not too good at it. Hopefully, with summer right around the corner, I can get some more writing done. Expect more within...the year? Until then...

 _Stay frosty my friends._


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